Sexy eco-bulb wins Design of the Year

An "imaginatively sculpted energy saving lightbulb" has secured the UK's Design of the Year award.

The "stunning redesign" of the dreary low-energy bulb caught the eye of the judges with its "beautiful silhouette and organic form" – the work of Samuel Wilkinson and design company Hulger and dubbed the "Plumen":

Jury chairman Stephen Bayley described the Plumen as "a good example of the ordinary thing done extraordinarily well, bringing a small measure of delight to an everyday product".

Jury member Will Self waffled: "I don't think any of the judges feel this is the dernier cri in terms of what will be done with the low-energy light bulb, but if you'll forgive the pun – they are definitely a light leading the way."

He added: "We felt these bulbs were neat, appealing and covetable in the right, affordable way."

That depends on your definition of affordable, because the Plumen certainly isn't exactly à bon marché, costing £19.95 in Blighty and €29.95 in Europe. That's for the 230V version. Those of you still struggling along on 110V will have to wait until April to bring some designer light into your lives.

The Plumen was selected from seven design category winners to take the top prize, and among the runners-up was the Interactive Award laureate, the Flipboard:

Back in the real world, meanwhile, the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme pedalled its way to glory in the Product Award category. The supplied photo demonstrates just what a sun-kissed paradise London has become since Mayor Boris Johnson first dreamed of his two-wheeled utopia:

You can catch all of the Designs of the Year down at the Design Museum. More details here. ®